Can-filling machine



V Aug. 26; 1930. J. c. BRUNO cm FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 26, 1930.

.1. c. BRUNO 1,774,475

CAN FILLING- MACHINE Fi1,ed Feb. 18, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 6, 1930. J. c. BRUNO 1,774,475

(mu FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 Jrramver Patented Aug. 26, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH C. BRUNO OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

THE VOL-U-METER COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF CAN-FILLING MACHINE Application filed February My invention relates in general to can filling machines and particularly to the type of machine in which the flow of liquid is interrupted when the predetermined amount has been drawn from the machine.

One of the objects of my invention has been to provide a machine of this type in which fluid coming from the machine shall be under constant head.

Another object has been to provide a device having parts so constructed and arranged that the device may be very easily cleaned.

Moreover, my device is of such a nature that there is no spatter or after-flow of the fluid being handled.

Furthermore, my device is simple in its construction, and all the parts may be quickly and readily disassembled for purposes of cleaning.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section. I

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the device, slightly enlarged.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the tripping mechanism of the device.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view of the inlet valve.

The device comprises a base 1.0, which is provided with three leveling screws 11, each passing through the base and preferably having a lock nut 12 for setting the screw in its adjusted position. Carried by the base 10 is a screw-threaded standard 13, by which the parts of my device are supported on the base in an adjustable manner.

Arranged near the upper end of the standard l3 is the reservoir let of my device. This reservoir is secured to and supported by a reservoir bracket 15, one end of which passes over the standard 13 and which is adjustably held in place on the standard by means of a hand wheel 16, screw-threaded to the standard. By this means, the reservoir may be raisedand lowered to accommodate various sized receptacles or cans. A cover 17 is preferably provided for the 18, 1925. Serial No. 10,096.

reservoir, whereby foreign matter will be prevented from getting into the reservoir, as well as preventing the vaporization of the fluids being handled.

Arranged at one side of the reservoir 14 is the fluid control of my device, which comprises an inlet valve 19, pivotally hun in an inlet valve yoke 20, which is carried by a valve-seat nipple 21. The valve-seat nipple is screw-threaded to the reservoir 14. The valve yoke 20 is secured in position on the nipple preferably by means of the bolt 18 and it is provided with two forwardly extending and interspaced ears 22, each of which has an upwardly extending lug 23 at its forward end. The yoke is so positioned that these lugs are arranged above the valve 19. The valve is provided with an upwardly extending ear 24, which passes between the lugs 22 of the yoke and a pin 25, passing through the ear and engaging with the upper surfaces of the lugs 22, serves to pivotally support the valve 19. The surface of the valve-seat nipple 21' is finished off smoothly so that the valve may efliciently seat thereon. If desired, a flexible washer 26 may be provided. on the valve 19 to insure its proper seating. The yoke 20 is provided at its lower side with a forwardly extending arm 27, to which is pivotally attached an inlet valve lever 28. This valve lever is mounted upon a pin 29, which is passed through the lever and the arm 27. This pin extends outwardly some distance so as to provide a handle, and a cotter pin 30 passes through the pin 29 and into a lug 31, carried by the arm 27, whereby the pin 29 is held in position. This structure permits quick and easy disassembling of the device for cleaning. The inlet valve lever 28 is preferably provided with an upstanding, slotted arm 32 to which the float arm 33 is attached. A wing nut 5% serves to adjustably clamp the float arm to the arm 32 of the valve lever, whereby the float 3 carried by the arm 33, may be raised or lowered. with respect to the valve lever. By this means the level or head of fluid within the reservoir may be altered to suit the viscosity of the fluid being handled. The float also may thus be naintained in its mosteliicient position witn respect to the surface oi the liquid.

A flexible inlet connection 35 is attached to the valve-seat nipple 21 by means of a union coupling 36. The inlet connection comprises two members 37 and 38, which are joined at 39 with a liquid-ti ht joint and which are held. together by means of a clamp l0. It will be seen that this connection may be moved to 2111f angle suitable for attachment to the supply of liquid, and at the same time it is one which may be quickly and easily disassembled, thus permit ing thorough and easy cleaning.

The bottom ll of the reservoir is preferably sloped and arranged in one corner of the low side hereof, is an outlet opening l2, which is p ei erably interiorly serewthreaded. Fitted into this opening is an outlet valve housing l3, in which is mounted an outlet valve ll. This valve is loosely attached to the rod of the closing weight l6, preferably by means of the cotter pin. l7. Arranged in the upper end of the reservoir is a valve arm l8 which has its outer end in hooked engagement w i the closing weight The oth'e' end of the arm is mounted upon an operating shalt l9, preferably by means oi a screw 50, whose end 51 fits into a hole formed in the shaft it. By these means the valve arm .1 ay be easily and quickly removed from the sha for cleaning aid may always be assemble in the same position with respect to th shaft 4-9. The valve and closing weigh tly removed for d6 may also be conveniencleaning. The ope 'ating shaft 419 is rotatably mounteu within the bearing and is prevented from moving endwise wi hin this bearing by any suitable means, but preferably by a screw which passes through the bearing and into an annular groove formed in the shaft. This is a common and well known means of preventing endwise motion of a shaft and, therefore, is not shown in the drawings.

Mounted upon the outer end or" the operating shaft a9 is an outlet valve lever This lever is held in place upon the shaft by means of a bolt 56, which passes through a groove 59 formd in the periphery oi the shalt, whereby the arm may be rotated ly loosening the screw without danger of the same sliding endwise upon or becoming detached from the shaft. Carried by this valve lever is an operating handle 5'? which is secured to the lever and has its forward end bent downwi dly and within easy reach of the operator. in adjustable counterweight 58 is carried by the rear end of the handle.

Rigidly attached to the front side of the reservoir is bracket 60, which has pivotally attached to it a trip lever 61. This lev r projects forwardly within easy reach of the opera or w ierc it may be actuated manually if desired. A spring pressed plunger 62 is carried by the trip lever and has its lower end in engagement with a lug (3, carried by the bracket (30. The upper end of the plunger is provided with a head (Bl, which is mounted in a cylinder 65. A spring (313 ranged within the eyliiuler and bears on of the nead it screw 67 closes the JC'l' end of the e *linder. The teinloncy of: pl inger is to normally ole stop screw (ill. which is 08115.. l iracket (30. r'lizoti p screw (if) is 'arried by the bracket 60 and serves to lin.it the movement of the outlet valve lever 55.

Carried on the inner @115 or t 6 is a latch plate 70. A carried by th valve i latch plates 70 and Tl. are beveled so that when the valve lever is moved to its open the two kniie edges on the plates J. no

engage vith etch other against the i ot the spriig pressed plunger {33, lielz in such eiga n b 1'1" tlve ably arranged under the operating handle n u iii this gage the amountof he itlet valve ll. may be gaged. J eath the reservoir ll; is a balance of any well known type. This balance carried by a su porting bracket 81. which has one of its ends disposed about the standard 13 is held in its adjusted cans oi? the hand wheel 5: 2.

irovided with the usual ba lance beam to w ieh carries a sliding weight 1' on its graduated end and a can plat- 86 on its opposite end. The end a re 'ical trip rod 87 the (nitwardly extending end "e horizontal trip rod 8, and which no horizontal trip red when the beam ped by the weight of the filled recep- The can plat-term 86 is provided. preterably at its central portion with a drip opening 88, extending from which is an inclined trough 89, whereby l ny drips coming from the valve when the receptacle is re moved from the platform will be caught in lat h plate Tl. is

the drip opening and conducted away from the platform by the trough 89 and thereby prevented from coming in contact with the bottom of the next receptacle which is placed upon the platform.

hen it is desired to put my device into use, the flexible inlet connection 35 is 0011- nected with the source of supply of fluid and the same is allowed to flow through the coupling and valve-seat nipple 21 and into the reservoir 14, past the valve 19. The outlet valve A being closed, the liquid will be collected in the reservoir until it has been filled to the predetermined point, whereby the float 8% will have moved the inlet valve lever 28 to a position where it will bear against the valve 19 and hold it firmly against the valve-seat nipple 21, thus closing the inlet. A receptacle 90 is now placed upon the can platform 86, the sliding weight 84: having been moved on the balance beam to the proper position. The operating handle 57 is now raised which will raise the outlet valve 4A through the medium of the outlet valve lever 55 and rod 45. The operating handle will be moved up until the valve lever 55 engages the stop screw 69, the amount of opening having been previously determined by the gage 73. \Vhen the valve lever 55 strikes the stop screw 69, the latch plates and 71 will have come into their engagement positions and will thus hold the outlet "alve 44 in its open position. lVhen the receptacle 90 has been filled to the predetermined point, the beam 83 will be balanced, and the vertical trip rod 87 will thus be moved upwardly. As the rod 87 moves, it engages the horizontal trip rod 78 and moves it, thus rotating the cam about its pivotal point. The cam face 76 will thus be brought against the under surface of the inner end of the trip lever 61, thereby forcing it upwardly and depressing the outer end against the tension of the spring pressed plunger 62. This will serve to release the latch plate 70 from engagement with the latch plate 71, carried by the outlet valve lever 55 and thus allow the valve lever to move to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the force of gravity exerted by the closing weight 46, whereby the outlet valve 14 will be closed, thus shutting off further supply of liquid to the receptacle 90.

It will be understood that while the liquid is flowing through the outlet opening, in the valve casing 43, the level of the liquid in the reservoir 1 1- will be maintained constant because of the float.

From the foregoing, it will be clear that when the machine is to be cleaned, all of the parts which come in contact with or are submerged in the liquid being handled, may be easily and quickly removed from the receptacle, the interior of which, after their limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and'described, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A can filling machine comprising a reservoir, a fluid inlet therefor, a fluid outlet in the bottom of the reservoir, a valve in the reservoir outlet, an outlet valve lever connected to the outlet valve, a trip lever, a trip plate carried by the outletvalve lever, a trip plate carried by the trip lever, springpressed means forkeeping said plates in engagement to maintain the outlet valve .in open position, a trip cam engageable with the trip lever, and means for actuating the trip cam in accordance with the Weight of the liquid flowing from the outlet valve to effect the closing of the outlet valve.

2. A can filling machine comprising a reservoir having an inlet and an outlet, a valve for the inlet, a valve in the reservoir outlet, an operating shaft passing through the reservoir above the normal liquid level, an outlet valve lever upon said shaft, and an operating arm connecting said lever and said outlet valve, a trip lever, trip plates carried by the outlet valve lever and trip lever, respectively, spring-pressed means for keeping said trip plates in engagement to maintain the outlet valve open, a trip cam engaging the trip lever, and means controlled by the weight of the liquid flowing from the outlet valve for actuating the trip cam to permit the closing of the outlet valve, and a weight within the reservoir attached to the outlet valve therein for closing said valve.

3. A can filling machine comprising a reservoir, an operating shaft passing through the reservoir at a point above the normal liquid level, an inlet valve, an outlet valve, a closing weight attached to the outlet valve, a valve arm connected at one end with the closing weight and having its other end mounted on the operating shaft, the outlet valve, closing weight and valve arm being enclosed Within the reservoir, and means carried on the outside of the reservoir for controlling the operation of the outlet valve by and in accordance with the weight of the liquid flowing therefrom.

4. A can filling machine comprising a reservoir, a fluid inlet for the reservoir, a float mounted in the reservoir, means actuated by the float for controlling the fluid inlet, an outlet valve in the bottom of the reservoir, a closing weight within the resei voir attached to the outlet valve, a valve arm within the reservoir, and means for controlling the operation of the valve arm and outlet valve by and in accordance with the weight of the liquid flowing from the outlet valve.

A can filling machine comprising a reservoir, an operating shaft passing through the reservoir an inlet valve, a float mounted in the reservoir, means actuated by the float for controlling the inlet valve, an outlet valve, a closing weight attached to the out-let valve, an outlet valve rod on the o crating shaft, the outlet valve, closing weiglit and valve rod being enclosed within the reservoir, and means including an operating arm on the shaft outside of the reservoir for controlling the operation of the shaft and outlet valve by and in accordance with the weight of the liquid flowing from the outlet valve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my name.

JOSEPH C. BRUNO. 

